School leader warns widening gap as more pupils fail exams

More than one in 10 ninth-grade pupils left primary school without passing Danish and mathematics in the 2025-26 school year, while the overall grade average remained similar to previous years, DR reports.

At Hærvejsskolen in Rødekro, a school in Aabenraa Municipality, results were slightly better than last year. But school leader Pernille Reschat said the gap between high- and low-performing pupils appeared to be growing.

“Unfortunately, we can see that the pupils who are doing well have done even better. Those who struggle are doing worse,” Reschat said.

She said the trend could be linked to more pupils struggling to see a purpose in attending school or sitting exams.

“For many young people, the idea of having to take an exam seems completely meaningless,” she said.

The share of ninth-grade pupils leaving primary school without passing Danish and mathematics has risen from 3.8 per cent in 2021-22 to 10.5 per cent in 2025-26. The figures for 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 were 9.8 per cent, 10.1 per cent and 9.9 per cent respectively.

The figures for the 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years were affected by the coronavirus pandemic, when fewer exams were held and grades were wholly or partly based on assessment grades.

Hærvejsskolen is working to help pupils who are falling behind catch up with their classmates, particularly in the final years of primary school. Staff are trying to provide differentiated solutions and support pupils through their exams.

“It works for some, but it is not enough,” Reschat said.

The figures were published shortly after the PISA study reported major problems with reading and numeracy skills among school pupils. Government party leaders have said schools should introduce a total ban on screens, while a wider reform of the primary school system is also being planned with the involvement of school leaders, teachers and other stakeholders.